Centre's Women's Reservation Plan Mirrors UPA's OBC Quota Strategy
The Centre proposes a 50% expansion of Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats to accommodate 33% women's reservation, ensuring incumbent lawmakers' re-election paths are not narrowed. This strategy, increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, mirrors the UPA-I government's approach to OBC reservation in higher education, designed by then Education Minister Arjun Singh. The UPA-I expanded seats by 54% to implement a 27% OBC quota without reducing general category seats, creating a "win-win" formula. The current government aims to apply this playbook to legislative bodies, arguing that expansion is overdue.
Key Points
- The Centre plans to expand Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats by 50% to implement 33% women's reservation.
- This strategy aims to accommodate reservation without reducing the number of seats for existing lawmakers.
- The approach is compared to the UPA-I government's method for implementing OBC reservation in higher education.
- Arjun Singh's formula involved a 54% expansion of seats to ensure general category seats did not decline while accommodating OBC quotas.
Exam Facts
- Proposed Lok Sabha expansion: From 543 to 816 seats, with 33% (273 seats) reserved for women.
- UPA-I OBC reservation: 27% reservation in central higher education institutions.
- Architect of OBC quota formula: Arjun Singh (then Education Minister).
- Constitutional Amendment for OBC quota: 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act.
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